February 28, 2014

It’s the last day of February! That means the beginning of Daylight Saving Time and spring are both getting close. Finally!

Today, I went to another hot yoga class. We had a substitute teacher. I enjoyed the class, but I think she took it easy on us since she was filling in and didn’t really know us. That class usually kicks my ass harder than it did today.

This weekend, I’m planning on 4 to 6 miles tomorrow, and then a longer run Sunday. My friend Allison has volunteered to do 10 miles with me, to try out the speed I need to run to lead the 2:50 pace group at the Ocean City half marathon in April, even though she’s going for a PR in the Shamrock half (now only two weeks away) and the pace I have to run is a full two minutes per mile slower than her regular long run pace.

Anyway, I figured out if I do two minutes of running at 10:00/mile followed by three minutes of walking at 16:00/mile, that works out to about 12:54/mile and a 2:49:xx half marathon finishing time. So we’re going to do 10 miles in the overall time it usually would take me to do 15.

Clark said it’s funny I have to learn to run even slower than I already am, considering how out of running shape I am right now. I said it was kinda ironic, and he asked if that made me a hipster runner haha.

Other than running, my only plans for the weekend involve watching NASCAR. The second race of the season is Sunday in Phoenix.

Since February is over, it’s time for my monthly summary.

Mileage:

Week 1 (Feb. 1): 4.9 miles

Week 2 (Feb. 2-11): 11

Week 3 (Feb. 9-15): 10.5

Week 4 (Feb. 16-22): 19.3

Week 5 (Feb. 23-28): 19.5

Total: 65.2 miles

Lame compared to a normal month’s total, but more than double last month’s total, so at least I’m moving in the right direction.

March holds my favorite race of the whole year, the Shamrock Marathon. It’s the half for me this time, of course, plus the 8K the day before. This is the first year they’re giving a third medal for the Whale or Dolphin challenge completers as soon as we finish the half or full marathon, instead of making us wait several weeks for a little pin to arrive in the mail.

I think my friend TK wants to run a 5K/10K sponsored by Chic-Fil-A in Easton the last weekend of March, so that would be my only other race next month. As far as mileage goes, I’d really love to get back up into the triple digits again.

February 27, 2014

Today, I did an easy lap around the 5.5-mile loop. I managed to get it done early, before the wind kicked up. They were calling for sustained 10-20 mph winds all day, on top of the already below average temperatures, and the thought of running head-on into that and drooling uncontrollably was enough to get my butt out the door.

I didn’t take Pepper with me. Right now, running any distance with him is speed work for me, and I just did that two days ago. Plus, it was even colder than it had been Tuesday, so I figured I was doing him a favor by leaving him in the heated utility room. He didn’t see it that way, of course. I could hear him howling the whole way out to the road. Until I got the iPod going, that is.

The run itself was pretty run of the mill, which I guess makes it significant. It was the first run in forever that I didn’t think about my left leg the whole way, and there was never a point where I just desperately wanted it to be over. It was a normal, easy run. Felt pretty good!

February 25, 2014

Today, I had a short run on the schedule, the 4.5-mile loop. I figured I could keep up with Pepper for that long, so I took him with me.

By the time we finally got out the door, it was snowing here. Just flurries really, and nothing was sticking to the roads, so it wasn’t bad. Pepper didn’t even mind. It was still a little depressing to have to layer up in full-on cold weather running clothes after running in shorts and a T-shirt two days ago. That little teaser of spring weather over the weekend completely ruined me. I don’t care if there’s still technically a month until spring. Go away, winter!

It was another typical progression run with Pepper. The miles passed in 8:27, 8:04, 7:48, 7:32 and then 7:26 pace for the last half-mile. We ran the whole loop in 35:40, an overall average of 7:56/mile.

My left shin was stinging a little bit just walking on it before we went out, but the run seemed to beat out whatever was bothering it, thankfully.

February 24, 2014

Saturday, I took Pepper to the trail for a lap around the 3-mile loop. It was the first really nice weekend we’ve had here in a while, so a lot of other people had the same idea. The parking lot had more cars in it than I’ve ever seen.

As soon as Pepper and I got out of the car, three little kids descended on him, with a million questions. Why is he wearing that harness? What happened to his tail? Why would someone cut off his tail? Hey look, he has balls! Teehee!

We got past them and onto the trail, where we ran into no fewer than six more people and four more dogs (all unleashed, of course) in the first 90 seconds.

Luckily, we had gotten past everyone else when my left foot caught a root and I pitched forward and slammed to the ground, digging a trench through the dirt with my left shoulder and hip. Go ahead and laugh, because I sure did, especially when I pictured what I must have looked like and remembered the sound I made: “AHHHH–OOF!” I’d let go of Pepper’s leash, but he just stood there staring at me, and then started inching back down the trail toward the car, as if he was hoping my wipeout would be the end of the run haha. I grabbed his retreating leash handle and told him we weren’t done yet. The rest of the run was uneventful.

That afternoon, Clark and I went to the Washington Street Pub for their oyster fest, which, for $30 each, included an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet and two 3rd Wave beers. I think we got our money’s worth in raw oysters alone. The oyster fritters, oysters Rockefeller, oysters with bacon and cheese, steamed oysters, steamed clams, clam strips, crab dip and wings were pretty awesome too.

Sunday morning, I went out for my longest run in almost two months, a lap around the 9.5-mile loop.

The weather was great — warm enough for shorts and a T-shirt, and just a little breezy — and I wasn’t sore at all from the previous day’s short run, but for some reason the whole run was an absolute struggle. I just wanted to walk the whole way. I finally let myself take a short walk break after the only measurable “incline” of the whole loop, right around the 4-mile mark. When I got running again, I couldn’t even hold my pace under 9:00/mile any longer. I was running around 9:15 the whole way. I can’t remember the last time I ran a long run at that slow of a pace.

However, I got in all the miles, which was the important thing. I ran 9.5 miles at a 9:09/mile overall average pace, and my Garmin cheerfully reported I’d hit a new “longest run,” by its measures anyway. Oh Garmin, if you only knew.

In the afternoon, we went to Mike’s house for the Daytona 500. There was plenty of food and beer, and we didn’t even mind waiting out the six-hour rain delay. In the end, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his second 500, and Bobby avoided enough wrecks to finish 15th. He’s actually 14th in the points standings today, but that’ll change next week, since he’s not driving in the Phoenix race.

My calves were a little sore when I woke up this morning, but overall I didn’t feel too bad. I thought about doing some strength training, but I wound up taking a rest day.

February 21, 2014

This morning, I went to another hot yoga class. I’m not sure if I was directly under a vent or what, but I have never sweated so much in one of those classes! I didn’t feel overheated or uncomfortable, but I was dumping sweat all over the place.

My favorite part was the end when, for the first time in the two years I’ve been going to these yoga classes, the teacher had us all chant “Ohhmmmmm” together. A room full of white ladies on yoga mats saying “Ohm.” Could we be more stereotypical? It made me think of one of my all-time favorite articles from The Onion, about a Chinese man accused of being offensive by owning a laundromat, because it was perpetuating a hateful ethnic stereotype. Anyway, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling a little when I was supposed to be ohming, which was OK, because everyone else seemed to have their eyes closed.

Tomorrow morning, I’m going to stretch out my long run to the 9.5-mile loop. Watch out, the Garmin 10 I got for Christmas is going to record a new longest run!

Oh, and speaking of technology, somehow my iPod came back to life. It’s holding a charge and worked totally fine all week.

I’m really looking forward to watching NASCAR officially start this weekend. Last night was the Budweiser Duel, the two qualifying races for the Daytona 500. The way they set the field for the 500 is drawn out, complicated and hard to explain succinctly, but I’ll just say I was pretty nervous for Bobby, because there was a chance he’d be one of the five drivers that would be left out of the 43-car field when it was all said and done.

It turned out I didn’t need to worry. He would have gotten into the race on the past champion’s provisional even if Jimmie stupid Johnson hadn’t run out of gas on the last lap and caused a huge wreck that did not include Bobby but did knock out a large chunk of the drivers in front of him, but that’s exactly what happened, and Bobby finished 13th in the second duel and will line up 26th for the Daytona 500. Thanks, Jimmie!

“Just doing my job. Happy to help.”

Of course, Bobby’s team had to change engines earlier in the week so he has to go to the rear of the field anyway. But he’ll have plenty of company back there, thanks to all the drivers who had to go to their back up cars thanks to Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief’s total ineptitude when it came to figuring out how much gas the car needed to make 20 laps. (I can’t stand his crew chief either, if you can’t tell, so the fact they both screwed up last night just makes me downright giddy.)

The truck race is tonight, the Nationwide race is tomorrow afternoon and the Daytona 500 is Sunday. It’s finally here!

February 20, 2014

Last night, it was still warm enough for shorts after the sun had gone down, so I put on a pair, along with a neon green long-sleeved shirt, my glow-in-the-dark 1400s and my headlamp, and headed out for a lap around the 4.5-mile loop.

I was running against traffic, as usual, which was a good thing, because the very first car that approached me was being driven by someone who clearly did not notice me at all. I had to step off the road completely to avoid getting clipped, so I muttered something under my breath, flipped off the car (after it had passed, so the driver wouldn’t actually see it, of course) and went on my way.

I hate running at night. My stride always feels weird and choppy because I’m worried about tripping in one of the many potholes and uneven spots I can see in the daylight. The shape of the beam from the headlamp makes me feel like I’m wearing goggles (Clark has said the same thing) and whenever I catch something in the corner of my eye, even my own damn shadow, I think it’s something coming up behind me.

Around the 1.5-mile mark, I saw a stupid deer bounding across a field toward the road, as a car approached. I was starting to worry the car would hit the deer and launch it into me, like the poor woman in D.C. last fall who was hit — while running — by a deer that went airborne after being struck by an SUV on the road. Luckily, the driver saw the jackass deer and was able to avoid it. No freak accidents.

The rest of the run was uneventful.

I’ve been trying to take at least one day off between runs lately, but the weather looked much better for today than it does for tomorrow, when it’s supposed to storm all day. So I took Pepper to Trap Pond State Park for another run.

We did the 4.5-mile loop there. There weren’t too many other people out, just a couple of old guys, one of whom got a big kick out of seeing Pepper trotting along with a giant stick in his mouth haha. Other people’s reactions to seeing Pepper with his stick always make me laugh too.

The run wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be, since it’d been less than 24 hours since my last run, but I was still pretty glad to get back to the car.

Tomorrow, I’m doing a hot yoga class first thing in the morning, and taking the day off running.

February 19, 2014

Yesterday turned into a rest day due to another work schedule that started early and ended way too late. Let’s be clear — I could totally get up in time to get in a run before my usual Tuesday morning meeting, and have in the past, when I’ve been really training for something, but right now I usually just don’t feel like it.

Perhaps that will change if Shamrock goes well (as in, I finish both the 8K on Saturday and the half on Sunday without any new or old pains), and I can start training for a stronger showing at the St. Michaels half in the middle of May. Also, the weather should be less depressing by then. The days are already getting noticeably longer, and the temperatures over the next few days are supposed to be rather spring-like, though I’m sure that’ll be changing again before winter is actually over.

This morning, I’d planned on running with Pepper, but it started raining its butt off right after breakfast. The weather was supposed to clear up by the afternoon, so I decided to do some strength training inside this morning, and push off the run until after work, when the rain will have moved on.

So I did ab exercises, push-ups, invisible chair-sitting and lifted, with four sets of 100 on the jump rope sprinkled throughout. When I get home this evening, I fully intend on getting in that run, even if it’s already getting dark. I have a headlamp, after all, and I need to stop making so many damn excuses!

February 17, 2014

The last time I posted was last Wednesday. Time sure slips away when I’m not really following a training plan!

Thursday, I decided not to run since I’d just run the day before. But I got bored, so I broke out a Billy Blanks tae bo workout DVD that I don’t think I’ve done in about four years. I was sweating by the end, but it didn’t feel like much of a workout. I did enjoy the blast from the past though.

Friday, I wanted to do my 5.5-mile loop. I felt a little unsettled in the gut region, but I went for it anyway, taking Pepper with me. That was a mistake. Less than a mile down the road, I was running for the first patch of woods I could find. There was a thick layer of briars at the edge and I was wearing capri length tights because it was such a relatively warm day, so I scratched the hell out of my right shin. As soon as I felt like I could run again, Pepper and I hightailed it back to the house. I ran a total of 1.5 miles that day.

That night, to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Clark and I stayed in with wine, chocolate and a Crock Pot of chicken jambalaya, and watched a couple of cheesy romantic comedies on the satellite dish.

Saturday, I tried another run. It went a lot better, and I finished the 4.5-mile loop without incident. That afternoon, I went to Julie’s house so my friends and I could finally exchange Christmas gifts (and so I could snuggle with Julie’s new English bulldog puppy.) Julie gave me a silver necklace with a little runner girl pendant. I really like it.

Saturday night, Mike came over and he, Clark and I watched the Sprint Unlimited, the non-points race for drivers who either won a pole last year or had won that particular race before. Jimmie stupid Johnson was the first to wreck! After getting turned by Kevin Harvick, who, as a result of that, is now the frontrunner in the official race to be my new favorite driver. Bobby Labonte is not retired per se, but he only has a part-time ride in an undetermined number of races with an underfunded team, so he seems to be doing a fade out. It’s more than a little depressing, and I don’t feel like saying any more about it.

Sunday, I intended to run my 7.3-mile loop. Well, first I let the morning slip away, dozing on the couch. Then Daytona 500 qualifying started. Then my mom and little sister stopped by in the late afternoon to drop off a birthday card for Clark. By the time they left, it was dark outside, and I’d already had a couple of beers, so on the couch I stayed. Sunday turned into a rest day.

This morning, when Clark left for work, I left too, to knock out that 7-miler. It was bitterly cold, and pretty windy on top of it, which just made it that much worse. I was running into the wind the first mile. My hands were so cold, even inside gloves, they were starting to get painful. When I made a turn out of the wind, however, the wind wasn’t so bad and I warmed up slightly, including my fingers. The rest of the run wasn’t terrible. I’m really looking forward to later this week though, when it’s supposed to warm up to nearly 60 degrees.

February 12, 2014

I didn’t do anything yesterday, other than go to work. I didn’t get up early enough to do the run I had planned before work, and I got home way too late to do it after.

I did it today though. It was pretty chilly here, and breezy, but it wasn’t bad once Pepper and I got moving. Pepper was clearly eager to get back to his spot on the couch inside the warm house, because he just kept speeding up. We did the 4.5-mile loop, and the mile splits were 8:08, 7:44, 7:30, 7:29 and 3:48 for the last half mile. We ran the whole loop in 34:40, an average pace of 7:42/mile.

When we got home, I gave Pepper a treat and he curled up on the couch while I did the strength training that was on the schedule for today, ab exercises, push-ups, invisible chair-sitting and weight lifting with the dumbbells.

It’s supposed to snow later, but not a whole lot, and it’s supposed to change over to rain sometime overnight anyway. I think I’ll be able to get in the run I want to do tomorrow.